wilmington safe routes to school plan -- final 2010

8/9/2019 Wilmington Safe Routes To School Plan -- Final 2010

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SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLENGINEERING STUDY

DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARYEAST END ELEMENTARYHOLMES ELEMENTARY

BORROR MIDDLE

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONDISTRICT EIGHT

DATE:SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

PREPARED BY:DGL CONSULTING ENGINEERS

3455 Briarfield BlvdMaumee, Ohio 43537



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 1

EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................................................................... 2-20Denver Place Elementary School ..................................................................... 4-6East End Elementary School ........................................................................... 7-10Holmes Elementary School ............................................................................ 11-13Borror Middle School ...................................................................................... 14-16City-Wide Trails and Traffic Control ............................................................... 16-19Accident Data ................................................................................................... 20

SOLUTIONS AND COUNTERMEASURES .............................................................. 20-28

SPECIFIC COUNTERMEASURES BY SCHOOL WITH ESTIMATED COSTS ........ 28-34Denver Place Elementary School ..................................................................... 30East End Elementary School ............................................................................ 31Holmes Elementary School .............................................................................. 32Borror Middle School ........................................................................................ 33City-Wide .......................................................................................................... 34

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ..................................................................... 35-42Denver Place Elementary School ................................................................... 35-36

East End Elementary School .......................................................................... 37-38Holmes Elementary School ............................................................................ 39-40Borror Middle School ...................................................................................... 41-42

SCHOOL TRAVEL MAPS ......................................................................................... 43-46 Denver Place Elementary School ..................................................................... 43East End Elementary School ............................................................................ 44Holmes Elementary School .............................................................................. 45Borror Middle School ........................................................................................ 46



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FIGURES PAGE

FIGURE 1 – LOCATION MAP ................................................................................................ 2FIGURE 2 – CITY STREET MAP ............................................................................................ 3FIGURE 3 – SCHOOL BUILDING LOCATION MAP ............................................................... 3FIGURE 4 – DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY CAMPUS ....................................................... 4FIGURE 5 – DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE MAP ................... 5FIGURE 6 – EAST END ELEMENTARY CAMPUS ................................................................. 7FIGURE 7 – EAST END ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE MAP ............................ 8FIGURE 8 – STREET MAP NEAR EAST END ELEMENTARY .............................................. 9FIGURE 9 – HOLMES ELEMENTARY CAMPUS .................................................................. 11FIGURE 10 – HOLMES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE MAP ............................ 12FIGURE 11 – BORROR MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS........................................................... 14FIGURE 12 – BORROR MIDDLE SCHOOL ZONE SIGNAGE MAP ...................................... 15FIGURE 13 – (removed from Wilmington City Council approved plan) .................................. 16FIGURE 14 – SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION LOCATION MAP ............................................ 19FIGURE 15 – REPORTED CRASH LOCATIONS .................................................................. 20FIGURE 16 – DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ....... 35FIGURE 17 – DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ....... 36FIGURE 18 – EAST END ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ................ 37FIGURE 19 – EAST END ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ................ 38FIGURE 20 – HOLMES ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ................... 39FIGURE 21 – HOLMES PLACE ELEMENTARY SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ....... 40FIGURE 22 – BORROR MIDDLE SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ............................. 41FIGURE 23 – BORROR MIDDLE SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS MAP ............................. 42FIGURE 24 – DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAVEL MAP ............................. 43FIGURE 25 – EAST END ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAVEL MAP ...................................... 44FIGURE 26 – HOLMES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TRAVEL MAP ......................................... 45FIGURE 27 – BORROR MIDDLE SCHOOL TRAVEL MAP ................................................... 46

APPENDIX PAGE

WALKING AUDIT SIGNIN SHEETS ...................................................................................... A1DENVER PLACE ELEMENTARY WALKING AUDIT NOTES ................................................ A2EAST END ELEMENTARY WALKING AUDIT NOTES .......................................................... A3HOLMES ELEMENTARY WALKING AUDIT NOTES ............................................................ A4BORROR MIDDLE WALKING AUDIT NOTES ...................................................................... A5



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The purpose of this report was to conduct an engineering study as part of the OhioDepartment of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. The ClintonCounty Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) was granted ODOT funding toprepare a School Travel Plan (STP) for Denver Place, East End and Holmes

Elementary Schools along with Borror Middle School. The School Travel Plan is atwelve step process and includes five E’s – Education, Enforcement, Evaluation,Encouragement and Engineering. This engineering report was prepared to fulfill stepsseven through nine.

The engineering study includes a walking audit, analysis of accident records,identification of existing conditions, and determination of engineering countermeasuresand solutions.

The walking audit took place on July 10, 2009. The walking audit revealed that most ofthe students eligible to walk to school do not have sidewalks. Safer opportunities tocross more heavily traveled streets are needed. Improvements must be made toprovide all students eligible to walk to school with safer travel paths include providingsidewalks, adding crossing supervision, enhancing crosswalks, adding new signage,improving railroad/pedestrian crossings and installing pedestrian signals at existingsignalized intersections.

The engineering countermeasures have been prioritized into three categories and canbe found on pages 29-33 if this report. A map that depicts the countermeasures can befound on pages 34-41. School travel maps can be found on pages 42-45



Safe Routes To School Engineering StudyWilmington City Schools

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

Wilmington, Ohio is located in Southwest Ohio, 50 miles northeast of Cincinnati, 34miles southeast of Dayton and 62 miles southwest of Columbus. The location map isshown in Figure 1. Wilmington is located approximately 4.5 miles south of I-71.

Figure 1 – Location Map

Wilmington is served by many state routes; these include 73, 68, 134, 22, 3, and 730.The convergence of the state routes results in high thru truck traffic volumes.According to ODOT’s Traffic Survey Reports, approximately nine percent of theAverage Daily Traffic is B and C Trucks. Wilmington utilizes one-way streets, Locustwestbound and Main Street eastbound, to keep truck traffic moving through thedowntown area. The SR 73 Bypass project is currently under construction north of theCity. This bypass, when completed in 2011, will help reduce the number of thru truckson city streets. Figure 2 – City Street Map shows the state routes and one way streetlocations.




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Figure 2 – City Street Map

The Wilmington School District encompasses 166 square miles and is the largestschool district in Clinton County.

The Wilmington School District is comprised of five buildings – Denver PlaceElementary, East End Elementary, Holmes Elementary, Borror Middle School andWilmington High School.

There are 3,300 students enrolled in Wilmington Schools with 660 at Denver PlaceElementary, 295 at East End Elementary, 680 at Holmes Elementary, 750 in the middleschool and 900 in the high school. Walkers range from three to twelve percent at the

elementary level. Middle school walkers and bikers currently average approximately 38percent. Heavily traveled streets and unsafe crossing conditions have forcedWilmington Schools to provide bus transportation to bus students living very close to allelementary schools.

Figure 3 – School Building Locations Denver Place Elementary




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Denver Place Elementary (291 Lorish Avenue) is located on the northeast side of thecity. Student bus riders use the loop on the west side of the building with busesentering and exiting on N. Lincoln. Walkers and bikers use the south side of thebuilding. Carpool students exit via the west doors where parents enter the loop via

Lorish and exit to N. Lincoln. Parent vehicles line up along Lorish and the area isreported to be very congested during pickup.

Figure 4 – Denver Place Elementary Campus

A bike rack is located on theeast side of the building nearthe playground. A walking trailis located on the east side ofthe staff parking lot. Thewalking trail, playground andstaff parking lot are locatedwithin a fenced and gatedarea. Walk-in gates to the playground are open during school hours to access the bikerack and playground.

The Lorish/N. Lincoln and Lorish/Virginia Circle intersections are all-way stop controlledwith painted crosswalks. No curb ramps are provided at either intersection. TheLorish/Kathryn intersection is all-way stop controlled with no crosswalks. Sidewalks areprovided on Lorish along the school property to the intersection of Kathryn to the eastand then stop. Crossing guards are provided at Lorish/N. Lincoln, Lorish/Virginia, andLorish/Xenia/N. South intersection. The intersection of South and Vine is signalizedand has pedestrian signal heads.




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School related signage for Denver Place is shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 –Denver Place Elementary School Zone Signage Map

The signage varies in color, legend and placement.

Sidewalks are not provided in the neighborhood immediately north of the school. Theneighborhood west of N. Lincoln has sidewalks. Newer streets to the east and south ofschool have sidewalks, including Kelly, Jenny and a short length of Florence.Columbus Avenue and Locust Street have sidewalks.

Those participating in the walking audit indicated that the immediate area aroundDenver Place is very congested especially during afternoon pickup. Residentialdriveways are used for waiting or turn-around, often without the permission of thehomeowner. “Gridlock” was used to describe afternoon pickup at Denver Plac e.

Intersections with safety concerns include N. South/Xenia/Lorish, Lorish/N. Lincoln,Lorish/Virginia Circle, Lorish/Kathryn, Virginia Circle/Fischer/High, andVine/Prairie/Kathryn. South and Lincoln are major north-south routes through the city.The intersection of Vine/Prairie/Kathryn is the convergence of several streets. N. Wall

to Kathryn requires a short jog on Prairie. Turning vehicles can confuse drivers waitingon Vine or Kathryn. Pedestrian of all ages have concerns about crossing in this area.




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A future residential area is planned to the northeast. This development should havewalking trails included in the subdivision and a pedestrian connection to Kathryn Drive,the most direct route to Denver Place.

A well known vehicular cut-through using Florence, Kelly and Jenny to get from SR 134(N. Lincoln) to Prairie (and ultimately Lowes Drive to access the commercial area on theeast side of town) was also indicated by walking audit participants.




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East End Elementary School

East End Elementary (759 Rombach Avenue) is located at the corner of Rombach andApplegate. A bus loop is provided in the rear (north side) of the school. Parents line up

along Applegate southbound to pickup students. School officials indicated that thereare very few vehicle pickups at East End. No bike racks are provided. Staff parking islocated southeast of the building with access to Applegate.

Figure 6 – East End Elementary School Campus

Applegate looking south along school Bus Loop on north side of school




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No crossing guards are provided for East End students. Students immediately adjacentto the school (between the railroad and Rombach) are eligible to walk though nosidewalks are provided. A painted and signed crosswalk is located at Rombach andJohn. However, students living south of Rombach are bused due to traffic volume andspeeds on Rombach and Fife. Rombach Avenue is a one-way street westbound withheavy volume and a speed limit of 35 mph.

Columbus Street Crosswalk-Rombach/John

School related signage for East End is shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 – East End Elementary School Zone Signage Map

The signage varies in color, legend and placement.Flashing school speed limit signs are provided onRombach. No additional school signage is found onany side street.




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Safety concerns for the school area include one-way streets with multiple lanes(Rombach westbound and Fife eastbound), the convergence of one way streets in twolocations within the school attendance area and the Wilmington College area.

Rombach/Locust, westbound streets, and Main/Fife, eastbound streets meet at College

Street and form a “bow -tie”. See aerial view in Figure 8. East End Elementary islocated north of the bow-tie between the center and the east wing. The center of thebow-tie has a wide pavement area, heavy traffic volumes, and limited pedestriancrossing amenities. The point where the two one-way streets combine again, just eastof the school, has a curved alignment and a signal with limited sight distance.Residents reported that is it easy to “f orget the signal is there .” Warning signs onnorthbound East Side Drive are present.

Figure 8 – Street Map near East End Elementary

Travelling west at College Street Travelling east at College Street

EAST

END

WILMINGTONCOLLEGE




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Travelling north on East Side Dr East Side Dr at Rombach

East Side Dr to Rombach westbound East Side Dr to Rombach eastbound

Rombach and Main cross railroad tracks west of the school. Sidewalk does cross thetracks on both sides westbound and on one side eastbound. Pedestrian gates are not

provided.

Westbound Railroad Crossing Eastbound Railroad Crossing

Concerns with Wilmington College were mainly with younger drivers and congestionnear the college. Fraternity/sorority houses are located around the campus area.However, no specific complaints were noted as safety concerns.




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Holmes Elementary

Holmes Elementary (1350 West Truesdell) is located on the west side of Wilmington. Abus loop is provided in front of the school. Walkers and carpool students leave via thesouthwest doors. Parents park their vehicles and staff members release students tothe parent vehicle. School officials noted that the after school pickup is very congested.No bike racks are provided. Staff parking is located on the west side of the building.

Figure 9 –Holmes Elementary School Campus

The intersection of S. Nelson and W. Truesdell is stop controlled with flashing beacons.A cross walk is provided at W. Truesdell/Piedmont/School Exit. An adult crossing guardis provided at the W. Truesdell/Piedmont/School Exit intersection.




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School signage is the vicinity is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 –Holmes Elementary School Zone Signage Map

As stated with the previous discussions, sign legends andcolors vary within the school vicinity. Side street signagewas not found. Flashing school speed limit signs are

present on West Truesdell.

West Truesdell is two laneswide with a 35 mph speedlimit. The roadway profile isrolling. Minimal sidewalk isprovided. Several stream

crossings are present with nosidewalks. Residential landuses are found along WestTruesdell.




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South Nelson provides north-south access along the westside of Wilmington. The profile is rolling and the road issigned for 35 mph. Nelson Road is home to industrial andresidential land uses. No sidewalks are provided onSouth Nelson.

The Clinton Swim and TennisClub, a popular after schooldestination, is located onNelson just north ofTruesdell. The LutherWarren Peace Path (a 1.2mile paved trail) can beaccessed on Nelsonapproximately 0.4 miles north of Truesdell. North of the bike path is a large mobilehome park where many Holmes and Middle school students live.

The Timber Glen subdivision, located directly east of Holmes Elementary, providessidewalks and connectivity trails within the neighborhood and to the school. Theconnectivity trails are privately owned and are not maintained by the City of Wilmington.

The Warren Knolls subdivision is located north of West Truesdell. No sidewalks areprovided in the Warren Knolls subdivision. The key crossing location for students livingin Warren Knolls is the West Truesdell/Piedmont/School Exit intersection. A crossingguard is provided at this location.




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Borror Middle School

Borror Middle School (275 Thorne Avenue) is located on the north central side ofWilmington. The Middle and High School share a campus along with athletic fields.

Parent pickup is via the loop provided in front of the school. Walkers and carpoolstudents leave via the east doors. School bus loops are provided for the middle andhigh school on the south side of the building. School officials noted that the afterschool pickup is very congested. A bike rack is provided by the main entrance. Staffparking is located on the north side of the building and is accessed by Howard Street.

Figure 11 – Borror Middle School Campus

Walking audit participants indicated that the Howard/W. Vine/Thorne area is perceivedto be unsafe due to frequent police calls to the area. Students from the north and easttend to avoid this area. Students from the north cut through the apartments locatednorth of the school and walk through the practice field area. The recent completion ofthe Nunn and Howard connection will provide better access from the north. Studentsfrom the northeast use Clinton to approach the school.

COW PATH




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The inbound bus loop drive location creates an offsetintersection with Clinton Street. Access to the high schoolis provided via Thorne and Richardson. The middle schoolcan also be accessed via the high school parking lot. To

access the school from the south or west requires travelnorth on Farquhar, then west on Locust (one way street)and then north on Richardson to the parking lot. The schoolcan be seen from the Locust/Farquhar intersection.However the section of roadway was vacated and is nowowned by the Wilmington Assembly of God Church.

On the west, Peggy Lane,Preston Lane and CountryOaks Lane end at the schoolproperty. “Cowpaths” have

been created from these stubstreets that are adjacent to theschool property on the westside. See Figure 11.

School signage in the vicinity of the school is shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12 – Middle/High School Zone Signage Map

MIDDLESCHOOL




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Sign colors and legends arenot consistent in the schoolvicinity.

Many students from the east must cross South Street. A signal is provided at Southand Vine with pedestrian amenities. Students then use Wood or Grove to get toClinton, thus avoiding the Vine/Howard/Thorne area. A crossing guard is provided atSouth/Xenia/Lorish.

City-Wide Trail Plan

Figure 13 (removed from Wilmington City Council approved plan)

The following is an excerpt from the City of Wilmington Comprehensive Plan.

Statement of Purpose . A citywide trail system plan has existed in the City’sComprehensive Plan since 1978, then denoted as a “Bikeway Plan.” The purpose of atrail system is the same now as it was then: “The need for local bikeways is recognized in many cities as an important aspect of planning for both transportation facilities and recreation.” (p. vii 1978 Comprehensive Plan) The trails that the City has built or designated are not on the 1978 plan but compliment the 1978 plan. These existing trails (and their termini) need to be recognized as connecting points in a revised comprehensive plan.

Corridor selection is key to successful trails. Poorly chosen corridors will result in non- functional, poorly connected, poorly constructed and more dangerous trails that also do not create a desirable experience for transportation users or recreational users. Due to the width of trail corridors (minimum of twenty feet), trails provide a buffer zone between land uses. Trail design features such as berming, tree and shrub plantings, ditches and fencing are features that can satisfy the privacy and safety concerns of adjacent landowners.

Functionality Criteria : A trail system is a transportation system for alternative means of moving people between important points in the community. A trail system also serves some of the recreational needs of the community. To be functional, a trail system must connect the following points of community services with residential areas:

All Wilmington City Schools – Denver Elementary, East End Elementary,Holmes Elementary, Wilmington High School, Wilmington Middle School, and,and any future campus sites.




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All Neighborhoods including Warren Knolls, Lakewood, Timber Glen, Southridge,Denver Addition, Countryside Estates, Wilmington Commons, Wilmington Court,Xenia Ave. area, Wilmington College area, Marlena/Paris Ave. area, Cape May,Parkside South (and others in various stages of planning)

Business Areas -- Rombach Ave., Lowes Drive, David’s Drive, King CommonsShopping area, the Downtown Commercial District and future planned commercial areas.

Specific Businesses – DHL Air Park and Clinton County Job & Family Services.Many people walk to both these destinations.

Clinton Memorial Hospital Wilmington College Southern State Community College Churches Recreational facilities such as the Southeast Neighborhood Park, Clinton County

YMCA, David Williams Memorial Park, J. W. Denver Williams Park, Clinton Swim Club and the futur e west side park (“Stuckey Farm Park”), Community ActionSenior Center, and the Lytle Creek Nature Preserve

Other Trails. City trails must eventually connects to proposed trail termini for trails on any City, County, State or National Trail plan. The State Trail plan shows a trail corridor connecting Wilmington to Washington Courthouse to the east and to Clarksville on the west.




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City-Wide Traffic Control

An inventory of the signalized intersections and their corresponding pedestrianamenities was collected. Figure 14 depicts the signalized intersection locations.

Figure 14 – Signalized Intersection Location Map

There are 31 signalized intersections in Wilmington. Twelve locations providepedestrian signal heads. There is one flashing beacon location.




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ACCIDENT DATA

Twelve accidents involving pedestrians or bicyclers were reported for the period of2005-2007 in Wilmington. One accident involved an intoxicated pedestrian and oneaccident involved a two-year old child. These accidents were removed from the dataset.

Ten accidents were reviewed for trends and locations. Figure 15 shows the crashlocations.

Figure 15 –Reported Crash Locations

The following trends were noted for the ten accidents - 7 pedestrians/3 bicyclists, 8male/2 female, and 8 adults/2 children.

Five accidents involved pedestrians crossing properly in a crosswalk and being struckby a vehicle. The remaining accidents involved pedestrian or bicyclists improperlycrossing the street. Six of the ten accidents were located on Main or Locust, both one-way streets.




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SOLUTIONS AND COUNTERMEASURES

A comprehensive strategy was developed consisting of a toolbox of general solutionsalong with benefits of each solution. Strategies were developed for each of the 5 E’s(Engineering, Encouragement, Education, Enforcement, and Evaluation).

Infrastructure (Engineering)

School zone signing and marking The Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTCD) requires that allwarning signs have a yellow background with a black legend; however, the OMUTCDprovides the option for all school warning signs to have a fluorescent yellow-greenbackground with a black legend. The OMUTCD recommends a systematic approachfeaturing one background color (either fluorescent yellow-green or standard yellow)within a school zone. Mixing of the two colors should be avoided. Fluorescent yellow-green signs are more conspicuous than standard yellow signs, especially at dawn and

dusk, as well as during inclement weather. As a result, drivers detect fluorescent yellow-green signs from greater distances, which enables drivers to respond to situationsearlier (i.e., slowing down or yielding to a pedestrian). By alerting drivers sooner thatspecial caution is needed, fluorescent yellow-green signs significantly improve thesafety of students who walk and bike to school. In many instances, the school flasherneeds to be employed to give more attention to the school times. These are especiallyimportant for elementary schools and schools located on busy streets.

The OMUTCD requires that school advanced warning assemblies be located 150 to700 feet in advance of school grounds, school crossings, or school speed limitassemblies.

Crosswalk Signing and Markings Crosswalk markings are used to alertdrivers of pedestrian rights of way and todirect pedestrians to the preferredcrossing location. There are many stylesof crosswalk markings with the preferredenhanced style being the “continental”as shown to the right. The continentalstyle crossing consists of multiplelongitudinal bars. Crosswalk markings are recommended on all school routes. All

pavement markings are required to meet the requirements of the OMUTCD.Another enhancement option for school crosswalks is to usecolor enhancements for more visibility. The installationshown to the right is located in Bowling Green, Ohio anduses the continental style with alternating white and yellow-green bars.




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Crosswalk signs with thefluorescent yellow-greenbackground should also beprovided. Fluorescent yellow-green signs are moreconspicuous than standard yellowsigns, especially at dawn anddusk, as well as during inclementweather. As a result, driversdetect fluorescent yellow-greensigns from greater distances,which enables drivers to respondto situations earlier (i.e., slowingdown or yielding to a pedestrian).The preferred signs are yellow-green S1-1. The S1-1 sign will beprovided for advanced warningwith the W16- 9p “AHEAD” plaqueand at the actual crosswalk withthe W16- 7p“sloping down arrow”plaque. The standard crosswalk warning sign W11-2 must be used in place of the S1-1sign for crosswalks outside of school zones or not on established school pedestrianroutes. Crosswalk warning assemblies shall not be used on approaches controlled by astop sign.

In addition to the above, midblock crosswalks and crosswalks on uncontrolledapproaches at intersections may include yield lines and “Yield Here to Pedestrians”signs (R1-5) to further enforce the yield condition.




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Pedestrian Signals Proper pedestrian signals and timing provide a safemethod for pedestrians to cross high volumeroadways. Pedestrian signals should provide

pushbuttons which are located within reach from aflat surface. Signal timing should provide quickresponse to the pushbutton. Countdown timers withproper signing help pedestrians make proper

judgment when crossing the street. A leadingpedestrian interval gives pedestrians green timethree to four second before the motorists; withpedestrians entering the crosswalk prior to thevehicle signal turning green they are more likely to be seen by the drivers. Review ofsignal timing for pedestrian crossings is encouraged especially near schools.

Curb Ramps

Curb ramps provide transition from sidewalks to streetlevel for pedestrian, bicycles and wheelchairs. It iscommon to add ADA compliant curb ramps whenreplacing sidewalk in a neighborhood.Recommendations for SRTS may include curb rampsin existing sidewalks where replacement is notexpected in the near future. Any new sidewalkinstallation shall provide curb ramps whereappropriate.

Railroad Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades Supplemental gates for pedestrian paths will provide additionalprotection for students and adults when crossing at-grade rails.Sidewalk should be installed to provide a level rail crossing forbicycles and handicapped residents. ADA compliant tactileground surface indicators should be used where sidewalk crossesthe rail.

Bike Racks Bicycle racks provide asafe and convenientlocation for parking bikes inpublic areas. The schoolsincluded in this study allhave bike racks althoughadditional racks would beuseful for future




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encouragement . “Inverted u rack” types are recommended although it is recognized

that for schools with large numbers of bike riders and low crime risk, the traditional bikeracks provide more parking and locking slots.

Sidewalks Sidewalks are an integral part of pedestrian accessibility. Sidewalks should beprovided in all residential areas and should be designed to meet ADA requirements.Sidewalk in commercial and industrial areas should be provided where communitieshave identified walking corridors for school children and community connectivity.

Paved trails Paved trails built to accommodate non-motorized transportation uses are another

strategy for making school campuses more easily accessible by users of a wider rangeof non-motorized transportation, including bicycles, skateboards, in-line skates, andmotorized scooters. Trails are different from sidewalks in four important ways: 1) theyhave an improved capacity for carrying various types of non-motorized traffic (due togreater width, smooth surface, grade improvements during construction, ability of usersto go at higher speeds), 2) more types of non-motorized uses are legal on trails in manyOhio cities, 3) trails can be planned to provide a more direct route to school campuses,and 4) provide users a route that is often better segregated from traffic.

Sidewalks are designed primarily for pedestrian travel and therefore are not always thesolution to providing a non-motorized transportation alternative for school travel. In

many Ohio cities, non-motorized vehicles are not permitted on sidewalks (bikes, in-lineskates, skateboards, even scooters) or are not permitted in all areas where a userwould need to go to reach a school campus. This forces children using these types ofnon-motorized transportation into the streets with traffic or forces them to take a morecomplicated route to avoid areas where non-motorized transportation alternatives arenot permitted on sidewalks (e.g., a downtown area).

Paved trails built to ODOT standards are capable of handling all types of non-motorizedtraffic safely and have the added safety advantage of being segregated from vehiculartraffic except at intersections or crossings. Trails are usually more cost effective tobuild than sidewalks (using asphalt rather than concrete in most cases) in a SafeRoutes to School Plan. Properly planned and constructed trails could be a veryimportant part of providing students with a wider choice of non-motorized transportation,a more direct route, and overall a safer route to school. See www.americantrails.org formore resources. Federal and state grants are available for trail development.

http://www.americantrails.org/







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Traffic Calming

Bulb-outs are traffic-calming devices thatnarrow the street bywidening the curb andsidewalk, landscapedplanting strip, or parkingarea. This device workswell when constructed atintersections or at mid-block locations to makethe street appear narrow, thereby reducing speeds. Bulb-out advantages include areduction in pedestrian cross distance, improved pedestrian visibility and narrow lanes.Disadvantages include increased street maintenance and accommodation of drainage.

Center Island Narrowing can be accomplished byinstalling a median todivert traffic. On widerroadways this can beaccomplished withoutadditional pavement.Center or medianislands do not provideas much deflection asother countermeasures. Median islands provide a safe haven for pedestrians ifcrosswalks are also provided and provide an aesthetic feature to the neighborhood.

Chokers are curb bulbs ormedian islands thatnarrow a street at specificlocations. They lowerspeeds in the immediatearea of the choke.Chokers are easily

negotiable by emergencyvehicles, can havepositive aesthetic valueand can reduce both speed and volume. Chokers have been shown to decrease speedby approximately 7%.




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Intersection Islands provide avisual barrier and horizontaldeflection in the samecountermeasure. The motoristsees the island and must slowdown to divert around the island.The circle also proves anopportunity to increaselandscaping in the neighborhood.

Chicanes are a series ofnarrowings or curbextensions that alternatefrom one side of the street tothe other forming S-shapedcurves. Chicanes areappropriate for mid-blocklocations where trafficvolumes on each approachare similar. Unless well-designed, chicanes may still permit speeding by drivers cutting straight paths across thecenter line

Raised Crosswalks are Speed Tables outfitted withcrosswalk markings and signage to channelizepedestrian crossings, providing pedestrians with a levelstreet crossing. Also, by raising the level of thecrossing, pedestrians are more visible to approachingmotorists. Raised crosswalks are good for locationswhere pedestrian crossings occur at haphazardlocations and vehicle speeds are excessive. They areeffective in reducing vehicle speeds, though not to theextent of speed humps.

Speed Bumps, Humps and Tables are raised areas in theroadway surface across theroadway. Speed Bumps are 3

to 6 inches high with a lengthof 1 to 3 feet. Speed Humpsare 3 to 4 inches high andtypically 12 feet long. SpeedTables are essentially flat-topped speed bumps, usually22 feet long. All three can reduce traffic speeds. However Speed Bumps can causevehicle damage and loss of control. Speed Humps and Tables can affect vehicle




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speeds along a road when appropriately spaced. Ifspacing is too far apart, speed decreases only in theimmediate vicinity of the hump or table. Speed can bereduced as much as 20-25% and volumes reduced asmuch as 18%. Humps have the potential to increase

in traffic noise from braking and acceleration ofvehicles, particularly buses and trucks. Emergencyvehicles have more concerns with bumps becausethey are typically higher and require slow speeds tonavigate.

Raised Intersections or Tabletop Intersections are flatraised areas covering an entire intersection, with rampson all approaches and often with brick or other texturedmaterials on the flat section. They usually rise to thelevel of the sidewalk, or slightly below to provide a "lip"

that is detectable by the visually impaired. By modifyingthe level of the intersection, the crosswalks are morereadily perceived by motorists to be "pedestrianterritory". Raised Intersections improve safety for bothpedestrians and vehicles, can calm two streets at once and if designed correctly, canprovide positive aesthetic value.

Modern Roundabout A modern roundabout is a circular intersection with acenter island and splitter islands on the approaches.Approaching traffic is required to yield to traffic inside the

roundabout. Unlike mini circles, modern roundabouts areplaced on major thoroughfares and can manage largevolumes of traffic. Modern roundabouts are the mosteffective traffic calming tool because they reduce vehiclespeeds, shorten pedestrian crossings, significantlydecrease injury crashes, reduce noise and pollution, and can increase area propertyvalues.

Encouragement

Walking School Bus

The walking school bus is an informal way to get morechildren to walk to school safely. The walking schoolbus is a group of children walking to school with one ormore adults. The walking school bus can also take theform of a bicycle train with adults supervising childrenriding their bicycles to school. Walking school busescan be started by neighborhood parents and can growto accommodate more students as interest grows.




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Adult supervision ensures a safer walk or bicycle ride to school for students whilestudents benefit from exercise and fun with friends.

Walk to School Days

On selected days, students are encouraged to walk or ride a bike to school. Walk toSchool Days can lead to enhanced child health and safer routes for walking andbicycling to schools. Some communities set a date once a month, while others haveweekl y events such as “Walk to School Wednesdays”. In communities where manystudents need to be bussed due to distance or other hazards, Remote Walk to SchoolDays have been employed. In this program, students that are bussed are dropped offseveral blocks from school along a safe walking route. The school bus is met by ateacher, administrator or police officer and the students then walk the several blocks toschool. This can be done by grade level (i.e. on the first Wednesday in October all firstgraders will walk from the remote spot, the second Wednesday all second graders willwalk) or simply each bus unloads and all students complete the walk to school.

Enforcement

Electronic Speed Measuring Signage The sign displays actual vehicle speeds under the posted speed limit. The goal is toreduce speeding through the corridor by raising awareness. The success of the strategyis currently being determined and radar speed signs are not currently proposed in thisplan; however, additional signs may be implemented if it is determined that they providedesirable results.

Speed Limit and School Zone Enforcement

Law enforcement officers should be present and enforceall limits including the 20 mph school speed limit duringthe appropriate hours.

Education

Pedestrian and Bike Safety A program that instructs all aspects of pedestrian and bicycle safety should beconsidered for students. These can be accomplished with classroom activities, bikerodeos, safety town, walking clubs, etc.

Media Support Local residents should be made aware of school zone safety rules through the use ofmedia articles and the city website.




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Inside Out School faculty and staff, police, township, and city leaders and staff at all levels mustunderstand issues facing pedestrians and embrace pedestrian and school zone safetyin order to receive public awareness and create a walkable community for students.

Evaluation

Pedestrian/Bicycle Counts The effectiveness of all solution countermeasures will be evaluated based onpedestrian/bicycle counts. Counts conducted in conjunction with this plan will berepeated following the implementation of solution countermeasures to formulatequantitative results.

Speed Data The effectiveness of infrastructure solutions will be evaluated, in part, by the collectionof speed data. Speed counts will be conducted at or near locations where solutioncountermeasures have been implemented and where previous speed data informationis available. Before and after data will be compared to determine possible benefits,such as lower traffic speeds and/or traffic volumes.

Specific Countermeasures (Cost Estimate)

With reference to the previously noted solutions, following are specificcountermeasures to help provide safer pedestrian and biking to/from Wilmingtonschools. Each school building has specific countermeasures. There are alsocommunity wide countermeasures as noted.

Low cost items are generally less than $20,000 and can be quickly implemented withminor plan preparation. These types of countermeasures include signing, striping, curbramps, encouragement and educational programs.

Medium cost countermeasures range from $20,000 to $150,000 and includes itemssuch as signal modifications, sidewalk installation, connector trails, traffic calming andenforcement programs. Medium term items require more planning and designfunctions that short term countermeasures.

High cost items are typically above $150,000 and may include pedestrian bridges,intersection improvements, and long range transportation improvements.

Countermeasures are prioritized as short, long term or legislative based on safety,urgency, cost, and complexity. For example, a high cost item may be listed as a highpriority due to its affect on a larger student population being able to walk or bike toschool.




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Denver Place Elementary School - See Figures 16 and 17 for Suggested Improvements Map

Main School Travel Routes – Lorish, Kathryn, Virginia, N. Lincoln, Vine

The countermeasures for Denver Place Elementary are focused on the area north ofLocust, east of N. South and northwest of the railroad. Other countermeasures thataffect Denver Place may be discussed with other school buildings.

High Priority/Short Term (0-12 months) = $308,400 TotalSchool Zone - Provide fluorescent yellow-green signage that meets currentOMUTCD code. Include all side streets that intersect with school property – Virginia Circle and Kathryn ($12,000)School Dropoff/Pickup – Prohibit parking on Lorish during school dropoff andpickup hours. Create carpool lane on Westbound Lorish. Allow no pickups onLorish in either direction. All students must enter the parent vehicle in the loop

on the school grounds. If parking prohibition and carpool lane are notsuccessful; consider one-way operation of Lorish during dropoff and pickuptimes. ($5,000)Enhanced Crosswalks – Provide enhanced crosswalks at Lorish/N. Lincoln,Lorish/Virginia Circle, Lorish/Kathryn, Lorish/Xenia/N. South, Vine/N. South,Vine/N. Lincoln, Vine/Virginia Circle and Vine/Prairie/Kathryn. ($4,000 avg. perintersection=$32,000) Crosswalks – Provide standard crosswalks at Vine/Walnut, Kathryn/VirginiaCircle, Kathryn/Hiatt, Lorish/Williams, Virginia Circle/Fisher and VirginiaCircle/Hiatt. ($2,000 avg. per intersection=$12,000) Sidewalk – Install sidewalks along High Street/ from Locust to Virginia Circle,

Virginia Circle from High to Lorish, Kathryn from Prairie to Lorish, Lorish fromKathryn to Florence, and Vine from N. Lincoln to High. All sidewalk installationsshall include ADA pedestrian ramps where required. ($247,400) Adult Crossing Guards – consider adding an adult crossing guard atLorish/Kathryn (Training costs are allowed with SRTS funding)

Medium Priority/Medium Term (1-3 years) = $200,000 TotalTraffic Calming – Provide traffic calming measures along Florence, Kelly andJenny. ($200,000)

Low Priority/Long Term (4+ years) = >$500,000 TotalComplete sidewalk network focusing first within the one mile walking radius ofDenver Place. (>$500,000)Complete trail between Prairie Ave, OH Rt. 134 and Denver Subdivision in amanner that best fits the needs of the community at that time.

Non-EngineeringSidewalk Maintenance per City Ordinance School Zone Speed and Parking EnforcementDevelop Encouragement/Education Programs

East End Elementary School - See Figures 18 and 19 for Suggested Improvements Map




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Main School Travel Routes – Locust, Applegate, John, Columbus

The countermeasures for East End Elementary are focused on the area south of therailroad, east of S. Wall and north of the corporation limits. The attendance area forthis school includes the Wilmington College campus area. This school has a lowerstudent population that the other elementary buildings and serves many bussedstudents from outside the City limits.

High Priority/Short Term (0-12 months) = $99,000 TotalSchool Zone - Provide fluorescent yellow-green signage that meets currentOMUTCD code. Include all side streets that intersect with school property – Columbus. ($8,000)School Dropoff/Pickup – Create a separation between the waiting area and thecarpool lane on Southbound Applegate. Consider one-way operation ofApplegate during dropoff and pickup times. ($1,000)Enhanced Crosswalks – Provide enhanced crosswalks at Rombach/John,Rombach/Applegate and John/Fife. ($4,000 avg. per intersection=$12,000) Crosswalks – Provide standard crosswalks at College/Douglas and College/Elm.($2,000 avg. per intersection=$4,000) Sidewalk – Install sidewalks along Columbus Street to serve the immediateneighborhood. All sidewalk installations shall include ADA pedestrian rampswhere required. ($74,000) Adult Crossing Guards – consider adding an adult crossing guard at John/Locustand John/Fife. (Training costs are allowed with SRTS funding)

Medium Priority/Medium Term (1-3 years) = $80,000 TotalImprove Pedestrian/RR Crossing – Provide sidewalk, ramps, signage, gates, etc.as determined through additional study to improve pedestrian and railroadinterfaces on Locust, Main, Sugartree and Hawley. ($10,000 avg. each crossing)

Low Priority/Long Term (4+ years) = >$250,000 TotalComplete sidewalk network focusing first within the one mile walking radius ofEast End. (>$250,000)





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Holmes Elementary School - See Figures 20 and 21 for Suggested Improvements Map

Main School Travel Routes – S. Nelson, W. Truesdell, Piedmont and connectivity trails.The countermeasures for Holmes Elementary are focused on the area south of Locust,southwest of SR 73, east of S. Wall and north of the corporation limits.

High Priority/Short Term (0-12 months) = $347,660 TotalSchool Zone - Provide fluorescent yellow-green signage that meets currentOMUTCD code. Include all side streets that intersect with school property – Columbus. ($10,000)School Dropoff/Pickup – Create a carpool line that begins after the school busesleave the front loop. Parents would line up along parking lot while bus students

are dismissed. After buses leave, parent cars enter the front loop and carpoolstudents are dismissed. Continue the loop through the parking lot until allstudents have been picked up. (No construction costs)Enhanced Crosswalks – Provide enhanced crosswalks at W.Truesdell/Piedmont, W. Truesdell/S. Nelson and S. Nelson/Luther Warren PeacePath. ($4,000 avg. per intersection=$12,000) Sidewalk – Install sidewalks along S. Nelson from W. Truesdell to the mobilehome park, W. Truesdell from S. Nelson to Timber Glen. All sidewalkinstallations shall include ADA pedestrian ramps where required. ($325,660) Pedestrian Bridge and Sidewalk ** – Install sidewalk along the south side of W.Truesdell from Timberglen east to Randolph. Installation includes a pedestrian

bridge that is segregated from traffic. ($375,000)

Medium Priority/Medium Term (1-3 years) = $37,200 TotalTrail Connector ** – Install trail to connect Timberglen to Southridgesubdivisions. ($37,200)

Low Priority/Long Term (4+ years) = >$875,000 TotalComplete sidewalk network focusing first within the one mile walking radius ofHolmes. (>$500,000)


** Truesdell Sidewalk and Pedestrian Bridge selected as High Priority by WilmingtonCity Council.**




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Borror Middle School - See Figures 22 and 23 for Suggested Improvements Map

Main School Travel Routes – Clinton, Vine, Thorne, and Farquhar.

The countermeasures for Borror Middle are focused on the area north of Main, east ofN. South and west of the corporation limits. Other countermeasures that affect BorrorMiddle may be discussed with other school buildings.

Note – this is also the high school building with student drivers as well as buses andparents.

High Priority/Short Term (0-12 months) = $344,800 TotalSchool Zone - Provide fluorescent yellow-green signage that meets currentOMUTCD code. Include all side streets that intersect with school property – Vineand Richardson. ($10,000)

Enhanced Crosswalks – Provide enhanced crosswalks at Farquhar/Main,Farquhar/Locust, Locust/Thorne, Thorne/School Drive, Thorne/Vine, Xenia/Nunnand Xenia/Spring. ($4,000 avg. per intersection=$28,000) Sidewalk – Install sidewalks along Locust from just east of Richardson Place toJosephine, Thorne from Locust to Vine, on school grounds from Thorne alongthe south parking lot, on school grounds from Thorne along the middle schoolbus loop,. All sidewalk installations shall include ADA pedestrian ramps whererequired. ($286,800) Crosswalks – Provide standard crosswalks along Vine, Clinton and Nelson.($2,000 avg. per intersection=$20,000)

Medium Priority/Medium Term (1-3 years) = $250,000 TotalTrail Connector – Install trail to connect Preston, Peggy and Country Oaks to theschool property, install trail from the corner of Howard and Thorne to the schoolproperty, install trail on current “cowpaths’ through the school grounds.($250,000)

Low Priority/Long Term (4+ years) = >$500,000 TotalComplete sidewalk network focusing first within the one mile walking radius ofHolmes. (>$500,000)





City-Wide Improvements

The city-wide countermeasures are not ranked by priority.

Add pedestrian signal heads, pushbuttons and pedestrian phasing at:

o SR 73/N. Nelsono Nelson/W. Maino SR 73/W. Locusto W. Locust/Farquharo W. Locust/N. Woodo W. Main/Woodo W. Truesdell/S. Southo E. Locust/N. Lincolno E. Main/Lincolno E. Locust/Cashmano Eastside Drive/Rombacho Rombach/Krogero Rombach/Alexo Rombach/Carrieo Rombach/Daviso Rombach/Progress Way

Complete trail connectivity plan as noted in city documents.

Enforce sidewalk and trail requirements for all new developments as noted inCity Ordinances.

Other Planned Improvements

The City of Wilmington has completed plans for a project on Locust Street and MainStreet under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The projectentails resurfacing, pavement repairs, new curb, new sidewalks and new curb rampsalong Locust and Main. This project is expected to sell in January 2010 and does notoverlap with recommendations in this report.

wilmington safe routes to school plan -- final 2010

Documents